“No doubt that confession was also given through torture,” the monk said, his eyes sharper now, as if the pain had concentrated his spirit. Natasha could see she needed to finish this. Her fingernails began to caress his old thighs. She licked her lips, anticipating the pain to come.
“Before I make you as Origen, tell me, is it better for a man to cut it off than sin against his vows?”
The monk groaned. "Truly, it's not here. I don't know where they took it. I promise. But there are other ossuaries.”
Natasha’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?"
“There are other places like this, where the bones of the holy would protect such an evil book. I only know it’s buried with the dead, for they cannot speak its blasphemy. Not here, but at one of the others, perhaps. Kill me,” he pleaded in a hoarse voice, “but let me keep my vows intact.”
Natasha could see he had nothing left to give her. He didn't know where the book was, but the trail led to other ossuaries and she had spies in place. They would find it and she would claim her reward from Milan. She bent forward to whisper in the monk’s ear.
“What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again. There is nothing new under the sun.”
With the last words from Ecclesiastes, she slit the monk’s throat, blood spurting over her gloves as she stepped away from the pulsing gore. The monk hung on the chains, his eyes closing as death took him. Natasha turned and walked away, her heels clicking again on the stone, leaving tiny imprints of blood on the floor of the crypt.
Zoebios Head Office. Paris, France 7.15am
This is it, Maria thought as she walked into the lobby of the Zoebios building. Today I can finally present my results to the Director and the Board. Today I will make a name for myself and my research. She had to hold herself back from skipping a little as she joined the queue for the security checks. She smoothed her hands down over her neat pinstriped suit instead, appearing far more restrained than the feelings she held within. The Board had released the audio programs for anxiety and depression but she now had more extensive data that would take it even further than they expected. After the late nights and extensive preparation, today was her chance to shine. She needed the bathroom again, third time in an hour. It’s just nerves, she thought, be calm.
Maria entered the elevator and ascended to the twenty-first floor. Few people spoke on the journey between floors. It had become established office practice because the building contained areas that were not accessible to all and secret projects were tacitly acknowledged but not mentioned. Drug research and health companies were often targets of industrial espionage so the code of silence meant Maria had little idea what was going on elsewhere in the company. Not that it really mattered because she was so busy on her own projects anyway.
The elevator doors opened onto the main landing, identical on every floor. Glass paneled doors with access codes and retinal scans allowed entrance only to the staff. They were emblazoned with the etched Zoebios logo, the unfurling shoot of new life. Inside, the office area and labs beyond were quiet, one of the reasons that Maria liked to come in early, even though she also worked late most nights. There was nothing to go home to and besides, she loved her work. The early morning was the time of day she felt able to think, to centre herself, and today she needed to go over the presentation for the final time. She wanted to go over the figures again, to check and recheck. Silly, she laughed to herself. She had already examined them ten times and her best scientists had retested the results. Everything was correct but her nerves still fluttered, for this day could make or break her career.
Maria walked through to her office and sat down at the desk. It was tidy, with a sleek monitor, wireless keyboard and
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